Paul Spodar
MilitaryPhoto courtesy of Eugene Spearman.
Shot down 14 October 1943 in B-17 #42-29870 'Big Moose'. Prisoner of War (POW), Missing Air Crew Report #1038. Earlier on 4 Oct 1943 returning from mission to Frankfurt, B-17 #42-30043 'Ruthless' ditched in the North Sea. The entire crew was rescued by HM drifter ‘Lord Keith’.
POW
Connections
See how this entry relates to other items in the archive by exploring the connections below.
Units served with
- Unit Hierarchy: Group
- Air Force: Eighth Air Force
- Type Category: Bombardment
- Unit Hierarchy: Squadron
- Air Force: Eighth Air Force
- Type Category: Bombardment
People
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 384th Bomb Group 547th Bomb Squadron
- Service Numbers: 32414218
- Highest Rank: Technical Sergeant
- Role/Job: Radio Operator
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 384th Bomb Group 547th Bomb Squadron
- Service Numbers: 34261537
- Highest Rank: Sergeant
- Role/Job: Togglier, Enlisted Nose Gunner
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 384th Bomb Group 545th Bomb Squadron
- Highest Rank: Technical Sergeant
- Role/Job: Top Turret Gunner
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 384th Bomb Group 547th Bomb Squadron
- Service Numbers: O-798518
- Highest Rank: First Lieutenant
- Role/Job: Pilot
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 384th Bomb Group 547th Bomb Squadron
- Service Numbers: O-676887
- Highest Rank: First Lieutenant
- Role/Job: Bombardier
Aircraft
Missions
- Date: 14 October 1943
- Date: 4 October 1943
Places
- Site type: Airfield
- Known as: Grafton Undermud
- Site type: Prisoner of war camp
- Known as: Stalag 17b, Krems an der Donau, Austria
Events
Event | Location | Date | Description |
---|---|---|---|
Born |
Cleveland, Ohio, USA | 14 July 1922 | |
Enlisted |
Cleveland, OH, USA | 24 October 1942 | Residence: Cuyahoga County, Ohio Private, Branch Immaterial |
Other Assigned |
Grafton Underwood, Kettering, Northamptonshire NN14, UK | 14 September 1943 | Assigned to the 384th Bombardment Group, 547th Bombardment Squadron on AAF Station 106 Special Orders #96 dated 14 September 1943, Giles Felker Kauffman Jr. crew. Five combat missions. |
Other Prisoner of War (POW) |
Austria | 14 October 1943 | POW Camp: Stalag 17B Braunau Gneikendorf Near Krems Austria 48-15. |
Died |
Parma, Ohio, USA | 3 October 2010 | Saints Peter and Paul Ukrainian Catholic Cemetery Plot: crypt in mausoleum |
Revisions
Updated the location of the POW event to “Austria” instead of “Germany” per WW2 POW records at the National Archives (NARA).
Added a connection to Stalag 17B per WW2 POW records at the National Archives (NARA).
Added a "-" to the A/C serial number in the "Summary biography" for clarity.
Merged with duplicate entry to include details from:
- http://384thbombgroup.com/_content/_pages/person.php?PersonKey=3803;
- the records of the National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force, Savannah, Georgia
Drawn from the records of the National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force, Savannah, Georgia / MACR 1038 / MACR 1038, Losses of the 8th and 9th AFs by Bishop and Hey p. 303 / Paul Andrews, Project Bits and Pieces, 8th Air Force Roll of Honor database